Halloween at Disneyland comes with a variety of exciting offerings, from themed treats to ride overlays, special entertainment, and more! While regular park admission during Halloween at Disneyland will gain you access to all of these seasonal offerings, the Oogie Boogie Bash parties at Disney California Adventure take the Halloween celebration to a whole new level.
At Oogie Boogie Bash, you can see rare characters as you participate in the Villain Treat Trails, enjoy exclusive attractions like Villains Grove, enjoy event entertainment like the Frightfully Fun Parade, and more. There is a lot to do and see during the Oogie Boogie Bash parties, so we will take you through our top 5 tips for making the most of your time if you’re attending the event this year!
1) Don’t spend the day at the parks beforehand. Oogie Boogie Bash tickets give you three mix-in hours starting at 3pm before the party begins, and the event runs for 5 hours from 6pm-11pm. This is a significant amount of park time included with the ticket, so we recommend spending the first half of the day resting up for the party.
You don’t want to buy admission for the first half of the day only to tire yourself out before the event even begins. This would be a good day to spend off from the parks enjoying the pool at your hotel or casually exploring the Anaheim area, and that way you’ll have enough energy to fully enjoy the Oogie Boogie Bash offerings. The only argument for visiting Disney California Adventure before the party is that park crowds are sometimes lower on party days.
2) Eat before the party starts. With all of the excitement of Oogie Boogie Bash, you won’t want to be sitting down to eat a full meal during the event time with all of the special offerings to enjoy. This can be one of the biggest mistakes you can make at Oogie Boogie Bash.
Instead, we recommend eating your main meal during the mix-in hours. You can plan a sit-down meal, mobile order something fast from one of the park’s quick-service locations, or explore some of the special limited-time Disneyland Halloween food offerings. Having eaten your main meal during mix-in hours, you can then spend the rest of the evening snacking if you see anything that catches your eye.
3) Watch the second parade of the night. There are two showings of Oogie Boogie Bash’s Frightfully Fun Parade, which features Halloween fun like the Headless Horseman, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Disney villains, and more. Many guests will head to the first parade viewing of the night, thinning out the crowds across the rest of the park. We recommend using this time to your advantage!
If you are comfortable with seeing the later parade of the evening, the best Oogie Boogie Bash strategy is to use the time when people are attending the first parade to do some of the most popular experiences at the event like Villains Grove or the Sanderson Sisters meet-and-greet.
4) Wear a costume to the event. Oogie Boogie Bash is one of the rare occasions when adults can wear costumes! Make sure to lean into the spirit of the event by wearing a costume or some fun themed attire. You’ll see countless people dressed up throughout the night, and part of the fun is exchanging compliments and commentary with other guests about your costumes. This also makes for some fun interactions with the Oogie Boogie Bash characters!
If you’re on the fence about wearing a costume to Oogie Boogie Bash, we would definitely recommend doing so. As you are putting together your costume, make sure to consult Disney’s dress code for special events to make sure it is within the guidelines.
5) Bring your own bag for candy. At the Oogie Boogie Bash Villain Treat trails, Cast Members will hand out candy from cauldrons at each stop. When you arrive at the event, you will be given a bag to collect candy in, but these bags are small and won’t hold all of the candy that you could get. We recommend bringing your own tote bag so that you can collect more candy at the Treat Trails!
For more details on this year’s Oogie Boogie Bash and tips for navigating the event, be sure to see our full guide to Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland.
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